1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, which is provided at a pointed end portion of an endoscope insert portion or whose a signal line is connected to an imaging element removably attached to an eyepiece portion in the endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an endoscope is widely used whose long, narrow insert portion is inserted to within a body cavity, a duct, or the like to observe an object within the body cavity, the duct, or the like. Such an endoscope, for example, includes a CCD as an imaging means for imaging an object image at the pointed end of the insert portion. A signal line extended from the CCD is inserted through within an operating portion, which is mounted in line within the insert portion or on the side of a insert portion base end. The signal line is extended from the operating portion to be electrically connected to an external video processor. This video processor gives a drive signal to the CCD through said signal line and converts an imaging signal, obtained from the CCD through the signal line, to a video signal to picture the object on a monitor device or the like.
However, if said signal line is long, it causes delay during the drive signal and/or the imaging signal are transmitted through said signal line. Thus, within said video processor, the timing of the imaging signal received in timing with sending the drive signal is delayed, and it causes a problem that the video signal cannot be reproduced normally.
Therefore, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication carrying said Japanese Patent No. 2694753, there is disclosed a technology for correcting delay due to the length of the signal line by providing a delay line for matching phases of said CCD drive signal and a sample hold signal for sampling the imaging signal received from the CCD.
However, the conventional technology mentioned in Japanese Patent Publication carrying Japanese Patent No. 2694753 requires to add to the video processor a delay line dedicated to correcting the length of the signal line or an electrical component such as IC for signal line length correction, that is, for operating correction for the delay due to the signal line length. It causes a problem that its configuration becomes complicated, and its cost increases as the number of components increases.